


Shameless

by JaneAloe



Category: GreedFall (Video Game)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Other, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-10-05
Packaged: 2020-10-30 03:10:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20807555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JaneAloe/pseuds/JaneAloe
Summary: Elena De Sardet and Kurt have known each other for years.  Separated by status and a wall of professionalism they set off on a new adventure in a strange land.  Meeting new people and facing new challenges, the two struggle to understand their changing relationship.I'm not good at summaries.





	1. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is only my second attempt at writing fanfiction so hopefully it isn't terrible. I had to abandon my past story after I had taken a break after having a knee surgery. I struggled getting back into the characters and the plot I had been writing. I've written about 4 chapters so far for this story, though it will probably be quite a bit longer than that if I can keep the inspiration going. I am a sucker for an absolutely brutal slow burn, so I apologize if that isn't your thing. I'm still actively working through this game and loving it. The events and dialogue will mostly follow that of the game itself, though I've made a few changes to the order of events, and when certain pieces of dialogue occurred. Anyways I hope you like it.

Making a hasty exit and barely avoiding slamming the door behind her, Elena De Sardet leaned back against the door and twisted her neck until she finally heard that all satisfying pop. She gave her arms and legs a bit of a stretch and shake, while attempting to tune out the protests of the artist on the other side of the door.

She sighed audibly in relief blowing a strand of chestnut brown hair away from her face. She could finally feel some of the stiffness leave her body. Elena had never been one for sitting still, growing up she had been very involved in her education and lessons in diplomacy, she had also managed to wrangle her way into Constantin's combat and defense lessons with their master of arms. She would be forever thankful that her mother had encouraged her fighting lessons, for it was very likely she would need to rely on them in the near future.

She managed to be the only girl born of nobility to take part in such lessons. Mostly due to her mother’s encouragement, as well as the fact it had been impossible to separate her and Constantin, but it had all been that her mother recognized she needed an outlet. It had been difficult growing up looking different from the other children.

Absently rubbing the mark that spread from her jaw, she remembered the tears she had shed after being called a beast by the other children at court. Constantin had been the only exception, they always had unwavering loyalty to each other. Children have a tendency to target what they don't understand, what frightens them, and for a time Elena with her mark certainly fit quite nicely into that category. Her being the only mage in the palace didn't help her reputation of being the court freak growing up either.

Luckily, she had always been able to depend on Constantin to stand by her. Her cousin often had his own share of difficulties getting along with the other children, though that had more to do with his beastly personality than any physical attribute.

She was also very fortunate for her mother’s unwavering love as well as her lessons in diplomacy to help her navigate those awkward years. It had been her niche and had done much to boost her confidence. Once her mother and the Prince had concluded that her and Constantin needed protection and could benefit from combat instruction, Kurt came into their lives. He was barely more than a boy himself at the time, though he toughened her up both mentally and physically. He even managed to reign in some of Constantin's eccentric behaviors... some.

Smirking to herself thinking back on those years, it spoke to Kurt’s ability as an proficient instructor that Constantin could properly swing a sword.

Ultimately, as the years went by, she grew up, eventually earning the respect of her peers as children grew into adults.

As her boots shuffled down the stone hallway, she nodded and smiled in greeting to the servants and people she passed. This was her last day in the place she had called home her entire life. As excited as she was to step into her role as legate, her chest tightened with anxiousness about the road, or rather ship, ahead.

She had no time to waste now that she had to add finding Constantin to her list of chores for the day, and she couldn’t delay saying goodbye to her mother any longer.

Kurt watched her as she moved towards the stairs, though she was currently unaware of his presence he began moving towards her. He could see from the tightness in her shoulders and by the way she carried herself as she moved through the hall, she was feeling the stress of having part with her mother. It pained him to see her in distress, though he had never developed a skill set to know what to say to lift her spirits.

He noticed she was dressed in her traveling suit, breeches and good walking boots. Kurt couldn't help but feel proud that she had grown into the woman she was, rather than a more frivolous noble woman that she could have been. Not that he could take credit for her character, Elena had always been different, stronger, kinder, and better than the rest of them.

She was many things that he was not; patient, well educated, well spoken...noble. Kurt was born to be a soldier, he knew he had a tendency to be rash, and even if he dressed in a noble man’s clothing, his manner of speaking would betray him immediately. She also had an ease in speaking to others, something Kurt had always struggled with, somehow the young De Sardet always seemed to know the right thing to say. She earned the respect of her teachers, diplomats, and especially the prince, who has hard on everyone. It was no small accomplishment she was to serve as legate.

Despite their differences he had seen a kindred soul in her when they met. He had realized she was bullied by the other children for her mark and struggling to fit in, apart from Constantin. He had felt sympathy for the young girl’s struggle. Kurt had been a target himself when he was a boy. Until he fought well enough defend himself.

Abandoned by his parents to a prostitute, his acting mother figure was often a topic used to try and get a rise out of him amongst other children and his early days as a recruit for the coin guard. Despite the teasing he would be forever grateful for the few years he had with her; it was the only time in his life he felt truly loved by another person.

He would never admit it aloud, but he was restless with nervous energy for the journey ahead. While Elena and Constantin were now adults, and thanks to him well trained, this expedition would bring challenges that they had never faced, and their skills would be put to the test outside of the safety of the practice ring.

One of his first tasks in the new city will be to find a new guard for Constantin. Initially the prince had not wanted to concede Kurt guarding Elena instead of his son. Kurt made his case well, pointing out that Elena would be at more risk for danger while she was traveling between cities and performing her duties as legate.

He reassured the prince that he would personally select a new and younger guard for Constantin, someone to grow with him as he took on his role of governor. Begrudgingly, the prince agreed. Kurt had thought Elena would be impressed by his own diplomacy during that negotiation, keeping his frustration delivering long explanations in check. Though he knew he wouldn't and couldn't tell her. Kurt didn't want her to think he was accompanying her as a body guard or that he thought she was incapable, no he would be traveling with her as a companion, and if he so happened to continue to protect her along the way, then so be it.

Elena put a hand out to feel the cool stone banister against her fingertips as she began to descend to the courtyard and felt a pang of guilt that the painting her mother had requisitioned wouldn't be finished. It surprised her a bit that her mother had asked for such a thing, while she was still certainly raised as a noble lady, her mother had been much less strict with "courtly" traditions than some of the other girls mothers, she hadn't been forced to pose for many portraits before, or set up for an arranged marriage.

Elena knew how lucky she was to have mother's encouragement in her independence. Her mother had only asked for the portrait since Elena would be soon leaving. One to hang next to the one of her father. The thought instantly turned her brief feeling of relief to somber, she needed to finally face the painful goodbye awaiting her.

She hung her head down as she walked, mentally absorbed in her grief, hearing the noises of the palace fade to the background as her anxiety continued to rise. She could feel the lump forming in her throat. Elena wouldn’t let herself cry, she knew her mother and her people needed her to be strong. Constantin would need her as he took on his new role as governor. A voice cut over her thoughts and the hustle and bustle of the palace.

"Green blood!"

Hearing Kurt's nickname for her she looked around till she found him. He had given her that name once Constantin, to her immense embarrassment, had revealed to their master of arms that the other children had been teasing her over her mark.

* * *

_She had shown up to their lesson that day tense and angry. Choosing not to speak to her dear cousin or Kurt for the first half of their lesson. It was inevitable that this change from her typical behavior would be noticed. The only warning, she had was catching Kurt's questioning glance at Constantin, who had only shrugged in response. The master of arms rounded on her unamused by her attitude. She kept her eyes on the ground in front of her feet as she heard him marching over to her and snapping "your mind is elsewhere; you need to focus."_

_She had felt the sting of the words but couldn't lift her eyes to look at his face. Feeling that this was his chance to be the star pupil; Constantin immediately babbled everything to Kurt while she felt the angry red blush of embarrassment turn her cheeks. She could only stand there and clench her firsts so hard that her nails left halfmoon marks on her palms. She turned her head slightly to glare at her tattle tale of a cousin, who merely shrugged at her again. Upon Constantin's reveal, understanding and perhaps sympathy flashed in Kurt's eyes, though it was gone so quick she wasn't sure if she had imagined it. He was not one for coddling them and put a scowl on his face while he bent down to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. She remembered forcing herself to lift her chin to fully meet his blue grey gaze._

_"If you act ashamed, you only fuel the fire. You have to keep your head up and walk with honor, do not let their words weaken you"_

_It was probably the most words he had ever spoken to her that weren't directly related to their lessons. Kurt had called her green blood ever since, and she had enjoyed having a nickname all her own from their master of arms, after all Constantin's only nickname was "pain in my ass"_

* * *

Returning from her momentary reverie, she looked up to see him walking towards her, his guardsman uniform setting off the color of his eyes. Once he reached the courtyard he began to walk in an arch around it, clutching his heavy sword in one hand while spreading his arms wide. That cool blue grey gaze meeting hers.

"And so, the day has finally come. My royal fledglings are leaving the nest"

Elena made sure he could see her face as she dramatically rolled her eyes. Though she couldn't stop the grin that simultaneously came to her face at his teasing. He always acted like he was such an old man compared to her and Constantin, though he was barely 7 years her senior.

Kurt knew her better than most, and undoubtedly was trying to alleviate some of her readable tension and anxiety. He had been doing that a lot lately since her mother's health had turned for the worse, always willing to fit in an extra sparring session, or take her on a grueling run.

The two began to circle each other in the courtyard. Kurt's steps were strong containing a predators lethal grace. She could feel her muscles begin to tense in anticipation. Knees bending slightly as her quads flexed, toned and strong from years of harsh training, ready to propel her in any direction. Her feet feeling the familiar grooves of the ground of the courtyard knowing exactly where to step.

Deciding to play along she fired back "Don't worry, I hear our loyal and tenacious master at arms is accompanying us"

The corner of his scarred mouth twitched ever so slightly upwards, in what she recognized as his smile.

"As loyal as your gold" he drawled in an aloof tone.

Elena let out an exaggerated sigh for his benefit, she didn’t have to be the well spoken diplomat with Kurt.

"Enough with the tough mercenary act, I _know_ you like us"

Kurt merely furrowed his brow and offered a grunt in response moving his sword into position, her gaze lingered on the scar that cut over his right eye. She had the scars on his face memorized and lately had been finding herself wondering about how he got them and where he had others. Kurt raised his brow having noticed where her eyes had landed, she could feel the blush warming her chest at having been caught staring. She was sure he could sense where her mind had been wandering. Partially confused over her own thoughts lately she attempted to quiet her mind before the telling redness spread to her neck and face. Desperate to move along the conversation and keep away from her thoughts she continued on with a jab.

"I'm not a child anymore you know, I don't need your protection"

A bit of a sore subject if she was being honest with herself. Growing up she had idolized Kurt, he was brave, strong, mysterious, and a teacher Elena and even Constantin strove to please. To her frustration he had always kept an unscalable wall between himself and his charges. Even now she barely knew anything about him, knew nothing of his family, how his body had become so littered with scars, the life he lived before he came to them. His aloofness bothered her as she grew up to recognize it, that he didn't trust her, or worse that perhaps he just didn't want to reveal any of who he was to her. She had thought maybe things would be different once she was seen as an adult at court, though they hadn't been. Now years later at twenty-five she felt as though he still saw her as a child, not an adult and certainly not as a friend.

His eyes flashed with amusement and challenge at her response.

"S'that so? Guess we'll find out"

With no further warning he charged forcing Elena to draw on her magic to quickly block the swing of the heavy blade. The electric feel of it moving through her never ceased to thrill her.

The two engaged in a dance of combat that they had done countless times before. Kurt pushing her to block and dodge, firing her magic at him when she thought his guard was down.

Finally as she could feel the first beads of sweat begin to trail down her spine, she quickly sprang to put some space between them and pulled hard at her will, gathering her magic from within herself and hurled several charged blasts at Kurt in rapid succession, knocking him back and spinning him around. Feeling a bit high on her victory as she walked towards him, she could see his smirk and could tell he also seemed satisfied with the test of her abilities.

She watched as his heavily muscled arms and shoulders covered by his uniform, easily lifted and sheathed his great sword before raising a hand to rub his stubbled chin.

"You fought well green blood; one might think you had a proper master of arms"

She felt herself smile at his praise

"The best"

She watched as that corner of his mouth twitched again as he crossed his arms across his chest.

Not ready to be done talking to him, and happy to see him in a good mood she grabbed at making small talk.

"Are your bags all packed?"

A half shrug "Yes of course"

She felt another pang of guilt knowing he didn't have much to pack. Though Kurt lived within the walls of the palace, he didn't share the wealth or status of the nobles. Elena knew Kurt, like many others, deserved more than they got.

He seemed to slightly redistribute his weight between his two feet, confusing her. Was he nervous?

"You don't mind me coming with you I hope"

She was surprised to hear the slight hesitation in his typically confident voice. Her mind immediately returned to her thoughts on status. Worried that he thought she viewed his presence as a burden or beneath her as she stepped into her role as legate. She had always been able to depend on Kurt, and while she loved Constantin dearly, Kurt was certainly a more calm and stable presence, and knowing he would be by their side brought her a sense of calm about their journey ahead.

Wanting to reassure him that nothing could be further from the truth she spoke perhaps a little too quickly, the words rushed

"of course not!"

He seemed to eye her skeptically though his eyes betrayed his amusement with her rushed response. She chastised herself mentally. Elena had years of training in diplomatic conversational skills and here she was sputtering like a fool. She decided to take a half second pause to compose herself before she spoke again.

"I am thrilled that both you and Ser de Courcillon are joining our party, having friends in an unknown territory is a boon"

Kurt let out an amused huff, which was the closest she had ever come to hearing him laugh

"Tell me the old school teacher isn't competing with me"

She watched as his brow furrowed as he looked around before focusing on her and speaking again.

"Where is the future governor? I was hoping to give him a final training session before we ship off"

This time her sigh wasn't sarcastic but of exasperation. She shook her head and spread her palms out.

"I have no idea, he had plans to celebrate our departure and hasn't been seen since" she raised a hand to rub the bridge of her nose and drew in a calming breath. "I should have gone with him, but my heart wasn't in the mood for celebration"

She lowered her hand to see his eyes on her waiting for her to continue.

"The thought of bidding my mother farewell" she offered as explanation.

Those stormy blue grey eyes softened in sympathy. Kurt had only respect for her mother, as did anyone who met her, she was always a kind and gentle woman. When he spoke, his tone was softer.

"Farewells are never easy, though you should be going to see her, she must be waiting for you. I'll meet you in front of the palace, and we'll go and find Constantin together"

She offered him a weak smile and nodded before turning in direction of her mother's room and walking off.

Her mother had been the one to insist Kurt become their master of arms. Elena had gotten into some trouble at a young age outside the palace walls one night. Given she was only out there to attempt to keep Constantin out of trouble, Kurt had come to her rescue.

Constantin had been so desperate to see if the rumors of the taverns attaches to the barracks with their gambling rings and secret brothels underneath were true. One night he snuck out to see for himself. Just the week before Elena had to save him from a terrible attempt at scaling the palace walls. Determined to keep her cousin out of trouble she had to followed him, and partially curious to see where he was off to.

* * *

_She remembered feeling cold and nervous. It was her first time outside of the palace alone. The cool night air raising goosebumps on her skin. She had kept her head on a constant swivel, looking around at the constant moving shadows in the unforgiving darkness of the streets. Filled with worry that at any moment her mother or the prince would leap out and catch her when she was supposed to be in bed._

_In her distraction she had gotten turned around in an alleyway and lost Constantin. She felt the panic start to form, her whole chest tightening and her pulse beginning to race. The cool air causing a shiver as nervous sweat began on her brow, and the dark walls of the alley seemed to be closing in on her. She was immediately aware that she was somewhere she shouldn't be and would have gladly accepted any punishment if it meant her mother had found her. But it wasn't her mother who discovered her, but a group of beggars, who took one look at her and became acutely aware of the expense of her clothing, and that she was a vulnerable girl._

_She backed away, throat closed unable to speak, until she felt a wooden crate hit the back of her calves and trip her. Pain stung as her backside slammed into the stone ground. The men only laughed and continued their approach as she looked around wildly. Willing herself to scream, but no sound would come from her throat. As the fear began to feel like a weight caving in her chest, there he was. Scaring off the beggars and picking her off the ground before placing her on her feet._

_She barely heard him speak as relief washed over her, recognizing his coin guard uniform and realizing she was safe._

_He had escorted her, and Constantin, who didn't get far in the tavern without pissing off several coin guards, back to the palace. Her mother and the prince were so relieved they immediately offered Kurt the job._

* * *

As she reached her mother’s door, she took a last deep steadying breath before she entered. It was awful seeing her mother so ill. She had been as beautiful on the outside as she was inside, though the malichor had ravaged her. Elena could tell from the portraits she had seen that she took after her father appearance wise, but she strove to inherit her mother’s strong spirit.

Deciding to wait no longer she opened the door to her mother’s room.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who read the first chapter! I'm set with chapter 3, though it still needs some edits. I may re write chapter 4 but I'm hoping to stay on schedule to update 1-2x per week. I won't go into excruciating detail for all quests, I don't want to re-write the game we played, but add content to some of my favorite parts of the game. I have a string of scenes written that I need to weave together in a way that makes sense through the plot of the game. I have all of Kurt's personal quests, Petrus' first personal quest, meeting Aphra and her personal quest line, as well as a Vasco quest. I love Siora and may write some of her quests with more detail but I don't want this to drag. I may tie in some other side quests that shed light onto De Sardet learning more about the natives as well as herself. I have of some cute moments in-between quests written too. I'm certainly open to suggestions if anyone has a favorite quest that they would like to see. 
> 
> Thank you again for reading! I hope you enjoy chapter 2.

She blinked rapidly attempting to dry out the tears building and threatening to spill over and down her cheeks. Her mother looked worse every time Elena saw her. Part of her felt she shouldn't leave but stay by her mother's side instead.

The only thing allowing her to put one foot in front of the other as she walked away was her mother's faith in Elena and her mission to find a cure for the malichor.

This journey was bigger and more important than the two of them, and Elena knew she needed to carry on. With one last glance back at her home she went to meet Kurt.

She saw him through the crowd immediately, standing by the iron fence looking out over the city. He stood out in the early morning light with the sun glinting off the metal pieces of his guardsman uniform. She felt some of her anxiety dissipate at seeing him. Kurt had always made both her and Constantin feel safe. He had served as their faithful protector and instructor for years.

As she strode towards him, he turned noticing her. Leaning with her back against the rail next to him, he seemed to be trying to read her expression, waiting for her to speak. She could see sympathy still in his eyes.

"Kurt... it's done"

"I'm sorry green blood"

The gentleness in his tone, surprised her. It wasn’t one she heard from him often, and she nodded in thanks, unable to find words.

Noticing the slight redness around her eyes Kurt wished that he could lift her from her sadness and offer some excitement for their journey as a distraction. He gestured for her to turn around on the rail, then moved to stand behind her.

She could hear the soothing deep tenor of his voice close to her ear as he pointed past her shoulder. She felt her shoulders begin to relax at the sound.

"Look you can see the masts of the ship taking us. This is one sacred adventure we're embarking on"

Adventure. The masts of the ships cut a pretty picture into the early morning sunlight. Elena smiled, Kurt always insisted that he was too cynical and too poor with words to do anything diplomatic, but she knew he had a bigger heart than he would ever take credit for.

The crisp air of a new day carried the anticipation of this journey, she yearned to be able to use her training and skills, to meet new people, and to help her own.

Now she just needed to find Constantin. Her dear cousin always managed to make her laugh and put a smile on her face. He had always teased her that she was too serious, and Elena always admired that despite growing up with a disapproving father who made his life hell, Constantin remained a bright light. Though she smirked to herself conceding that his eccentric personality sometimes exhausted others, or just angered them.

She turned to face Kurt and found him looking at her.

"Let's hope this island keeps its promises"

Kurt turned his gaze back to the city "In order to know that we'll need to find Constantin"

She smiled hearing the slight twinge of exasperation in his tone. Constantin certainly had given Kurt a run for his money over the years. Despite the trying times, and their different personalities, she knew the two men had affection for one another. Kurt was perhaps the only male figure in Constantin’s life that had encouraged him to do better and praised him on his success. 

She tried to turn her tone optimistic

"You're right. Maybe he's already at the port? He was so eager to leave."

They shared a knowing look, both knew Constantin's eagerness to leave wasn't just due to the romance of a new adventure, but also as an escape from his parents.

"This will be quite the chore before our departure"

She nodded assuming he was talking about Constantin until he continued.

"The commander wants to recover some merchandise from our supplier, but the transporter doesn't want to deliver... I did all I could to persuade him, but nothing came of it."

He sighed and turned away to lean over the rail once again breaking their eye contact, seemingly struggling with what to say. Elena knew better than to push and waited patiently for him to finish.

"all this parlimenting fatigues me, this is your domain"

Still not facing her he shrugged

"I wouldn't say no to a little help"

She had to stop her jaw from going slack, this was the first time Kurt had asked her help with anything. Not wanting to scare him off she decided to not act as if this was out of the ordinary.

"Of course, where is this supplier located?"

"In the lower boroughs, near the ports"

"Right" she said triumphantly trying to not smile too much "we'll add it to our list of visits."

Xxxxxxx

Kurt could not believe the little minx was about to doctor a ship manifest. She had negotiated with the grace and regal tone fitting of her title with the supplier. Though their victory was short lived upon encountering another hurdle when speaking to captain Vasco about getting the crates aboard the ship.

He was glad Elena was doing all the talking. His frustration from dealing with the supplier didn't have time to dissipate as they were immediately faced with realizing the commander had asked of him a near impossible task.

Thankfully Elena had seemed determined that this wouldn't be an issue. As longs as Kurt had known her, she had always accomplished any task she set her mind too. Approaching the building within the port where the ship manifest was located, he felt Elena grab his upper arm and attempt to pull him towards a pile of crates stacked over ten feet high.

She saw his brow furrow in surprise and confusion as he let her pull him a few steps towards the crates before halting.

"What are you doing? The building with the manifest is over there?"

She reached around to her travel bag and smirking in triumph, she produced a Naut uniform.

"I need you to keep a lookout so I can quick change"

His eyes widened, not liking this plan at all his voice came in a harsh whisper not wanting to draw attention of those around them.

"Where did you even get that? What happened to sneaking in the back entrance and going in together"

Still smiling at her own cleverness "Vasco mentioned there would undoubtedly be some spare uniforms in the crates around here, I found one. It's the perfect plan, I'll slip in, unnoticed doctor the manifest and be back out before anyone is the wiser"

Kurt crossed his arms across his chest and raised his scarred brow.

"And if they see your mark? ‘s hardly going to pass for a Naut tattoo"

"I won't get that close to anyone; I'll be in and out under two minutes"

Kurt wanted to demand that she give him the uniform, though he could already tell it would be too small for him. Him doctoring the manifest could also prove difficult, his reading and writing skills while better than some, were still sub-par, every second would count while inside the Naut territory.

This was extremely common with most guards who were recruited at a young age and Kurt was recruited younger than any other guard he knew. He was hardly about to admit this weakness to Elena. Part of him also saw from the look in her eyes, determined and pleased with her plan, that she wasn’t going to back down

She could sense he was going to give in and felt her smile grow wide as he let his arms go slack in defeat.

"Alright" he clipped "but be quick about it, and I will be right outside. If you shout, I will be through the door in seconds, and if you are not back here in three minutes I’m coming in anyway."

"Yes sir!"

Those blue grey eyes merely gave her brown ones a stern unamused look. He begrudgingly turned his back to her, keeping watch so she could slip into the Naut uniform behind the cover of the crates.

She couldn't help but glance at his tall frame and his broad shoulders before shaking her head. She needed to focus. It wasn't like her to get distracted; this hadn’t been a problem in the past, but it seemed to be happening more often lately in the presence of her master of arms.

Pushing her confusing thoughts aside she changed as quickly and discretely as she could. She slipped her boots back on and her hat to give her face some cover. Looking down at her attire with satisfaction she stepped out past Kurt without speaking, making her way towards her target.

She could feel her pulse begin to speed up as she entered in through the back door, though she was surprised she still felt relatively calm as she ascended the stairs to the second level where she'd locate the manifest.

To her relief with the Naut uniform on, no one spared her a second glance and she was able to easily slip into the office where she was alone. Locating the large manifest on the sole desk with ease, she quickly made the changes and returned outside.

Kurt seemed to let out a breath he had been holding when his eyes landed on her. He gestured with his head in the direction of the crates and walked ahead of her towards them.

"Change quickly green blood" and his back was to her once again.

With her traveling suit back on, she stepped out and faced Kurt with her hands on her hips.

"The manifest is taken care of"

She watched the corner of his mouth move upwards ever so slightly.

Kurt felt a swell of pride and relief as he took in her confident and triumphant posture. Before pulling his gaze from her to look around the port.

"I still don't see Constantin"

Her brow furrowed

"Captain Vasco said he hadn't seen him either, though he had heard of a party, perhaps we should head to the coin tavern"

Kurt merely nodded in response and the two walked side by side away from the ports and back into town.

Xxxxxx

Her purse now lighter after compensating the tavern keeper for his damaged furniture, Elena pinched the bridge of her nose in worry, thinking of Constantin getting into a fight with bandits.

This was not a good sign, she knew Constantin could hold his own in a fight, though he had been drinking and was still missing. Elena wasn't sure if she did or didn't want to find him in the warehouse. She just kept hoping he would pop out at any second, scolding her for wasting time looking for him. She dropped her hand and opted for chewing her lip as she looked to Kurt.

Confusion entered her mind as she noticed his gaze flicker up to her eyes from her mouth. Though he spoke before she had time to give it more thought.

"We'll find him green blood, let's head to the warehouse"

As they approached the building, she could hear the trill of Constantin's haughty voice coming from upstairs.

She saw Kirk roll his eyes listening to her cousin scold bandits who clearly weren't listening

“If you had any idea who I was!"

She shrugged "Well, he hasn't lost his attitude"

Kurt nodded in agreement "Never has"

They opted to sneak past the guards, not wanting to engage in needless battle and risk injury before their journey, nor add any unnecessary delay to their return to the docks.

Relief rushed through her realizing no bandits were in the building, she rushed up the stairs as quietly as she could.

Constantin was still blathering on, when she began to open the door to the room he was locked in. He was in clothes she didn't recognize though he looked completely unharmed. She let herself start to breathe a sigh of relief as she began to step through the door until she was forced to duck to avoid a wine bottle that was hurtling towards her face. Before she could say a word, Constantin had slammed her against the wall.

"Constantin it's me!"

Before her cousin could look up at her face a large arm wrapped around his neck from behind and pulled him off of her.

"Hell! Haven't you caused enough trouble today" Kurt barked and released Constantin.

The look on Constantin's face when he looked at her would have been perfect for a portrait.

"My dear cousin, my lucky star! Always there to put out all my fires!"

She couldn't help but laugh, Constantin's joy always was infectious for her.

" I do what I can" she squeaked as he enveloped her in a hug that lifted her off the ground. She caught Kurt's amused eyes over her cousins’ shoulder.

Setting her back on her feet and still grinning from ear to ear Constantin looked around nodding at Kurt who returned the gesture.

"Now let's find my clothes and get me out of this dreadful attire"

He waggled his brows causing her to laugh once again. Constantin did love to be properly dressed.

While the three began to look amongst the crates as silently and quickly as possible Elena spoke gently.

"Your father was upset over your absence this morning"

Constantin froze.

"Have you ever seen him happy about anything when it comes to me? You know what he thinks of me"

The pain in his voice hurt her heart. She hated seeing him like this.

"He cares about you" letting compassion fill her tone "I know that, he appointed you governor, didn't he?"

"He is ridding himself of a source of constant disappointment" his eyes flickered to Kurt who had apparently found Constantin's clothes in the crate he was searching. She could see her cousin force a smile "Enough sad, today we set sail for adventure"


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think that they befriended Vasco while on the ship. This chapter has a little fluff, I promise there is more coming. Chapter 4 was going to have more moments, though it turned so lengthy most of it moved into chapter 5.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has been reading, I hope you enjoy this next chapter! <3

Kurt slowed his long strides to fall in place beside Elena and Vasco. As they returned to the port, the Naut had informed them that the tide would be ideal at this hour to finally set sail. He used the opportunity to covertly glance at the woman beside him. Elena had impressed all those she had dealt with including the ambassadors of the Bridge Alliance and Theleme.

Kurt however was not surprised, by Elena’s natural competence in her role as legate; she had always shown a strong aptitude for negotiation and navigating a political minefield. Only her first official day in her new role and she had spared a couple from imprisonment, secured them asylum in a new nation, as well as freed an abducted cabin boy.

He was acutely aware of her presence beside him as they strode through the streets of Serene for the last time. Taking another momentary sideward glance, he couldn't help but admire her long full lashes, stubborn chin, and delicate features that betrayed her innocence. The entire time he had known her, Elena had stood out. She had a giving heart and empathetic spirit that was uncommon among court nobles who were more often caught up in the games of court life. He was humbled time and time again by her sense of honor; always striving to do what was right, and meeting challenges head on. He knew he didn't just protect her to fulfill his duty as master of arms and bodyguard, but to also preserve in her what had been taken from him so long ago.

He could read the tense line of her shoulders, knowing her as long as he had, there was little she could hide from him. Kurt knew she struggled with the death of the cabin boy's father. He had been the one to deliver the killing blow, the man had attacked them giving him no choice. She had let out a sigh of relief when his men had surrendered without argument once their employer fell.

Elena understood the necessity, but he could tell the man’s death bothered her. As much as he wished otherwise, he knew she would have to become more accustomed to violence. Traveling long foreign roads would undoubtedly be filled with battles, he wouldn’t be able to shield her from that reality much longer.

Distracted by his own thoughts he missed what Constantin said as he practically bounded ahead of Vasco, Elena, and himself as they approached the ship. Before Kurt could inform him that the ship they would actually be boarding was off to the left, he looked up to see sailor run to the rail of the deck waving and yelling, his terror piercing the air.

"The beast has awoken!"

Kurt could hear Vasco let off a string of curses, apparently the Naut had some idea of what was going on. Kurt moved ahead of Constantin, putting an arm out to stop him in his path, eyes set firmly on the ship in front of them.

He could hear a noise that sounded as if what ever was making it was massive, coming from within the hull. His adrenaline spiked, muscles preparing for use.

"The creature was supposed to be put out for days, they'll pay for this"

He could see Elena and Constantin exchange worried glances upon hearing the Naut captain's angry tone. Struggling to contain his own frustration at being placed in an unknown situation he barked back at the Naut.

"What the hell are you transporting?"

The sailor on the ship started screaming for rope, drawing their attention before Vasco could respond.

Constantin stepped around Kurt, taking a few slow strides forward before turning back to the group.

"Come on let’s give them a hand"

The sound of roaring got louder, and the sailors yelled more frantically in response.

With a bang, wood suddenly flew everywhere as the hull exploded outwards. A beast the likes of which Kurt had never seen leapt out of the destroyed hull to land on the stone in front of them.

The four of them were forced to leap back to avoid the spray, their bodies crashing into the ground. Kurt looked around and cursed at the new distance between him and his charges.

The beast seemed to be some sort of living tree; his eyes widened taking in the site of the strange creature.

He glanced to Elena who was now standing with her knees bent and ready to run. Satisfied that she appeared uninjured and able to flee, he turned to look at Constantin who was merely staring up at the creature in sheer disbelief.

Pushing himself quickly to his feet he yelled to the young man.

"Watch out! Take a step back sir"

Constantin didn't seem to hear.

Elena's heart was pounding in her chest. She could hear Kurt yelling but was unable to make out the words, the entire port had erupted in screams.

A thundering crack split the air as mast of the ship cracked and began to fall, with Constantin frozen in its path.

Instinct took over as Elena’s legs set into motion hurling herself at him. Pain erupting in her chest as she slammed into Constantin’s shoulder. As they slammed into the ground Constantin let out a howl of pain as his knee connected with ground first. The mast crashed into the ground with a deafening thud throwing dirt, dust, and debris into the air.

She coughed in an attempt to clear the clogged air from her lungs. As the dust began to settle, she could hear foot steps and looked up to see the outline of Kurt and Vasco closing the distance between them. Constantin was still moaning in pain and rolled away from her. She forced herself to her feet and froze. The hair on the back of her neck raised as she saw the beast begin to move out of her peripheral vision. Kurt hauled Constantin to his feet in one swift motion like the younger man weighed nothing, and adjusted to support his weight.

Her eyes found Kurt's and she was surprised to see something she had never seen in them before, fear. Taking another look at Constantin she knew what she had to do.

"Kurt! Captain! Get my cousin out of here"

She could tell Kurt hesitated, and considered disobeying her, but to do so would be to leave her cousin helpless. He stared at her in utter disbelief at the situation, Kurt had never left her in danger before.

Elena could see the struggle on his face as he turned his head away from her to look at Constantin and gesture to Vasco to help him lift and carry Constantin to safety away from the beast.

Turning her attention back to the beast she began reaching inwards, pulling at her magic, willing it to be at the ready. Feeling her familiar energy charge the air around her brought her some confidence as she let her training take over.

The beast, now upright, attempted to barrel towards her. It appeared to be weakened and was forced to throw itself wildly at her, unable to stay on its feet. This allowed her the opportunity to dive and dodge out of the way. The weight of the sound of its crashing body assured her that she couldn't afford to be caught underneath. She fired off a flurry of shadow blasts while the beast struggled to lift itself from the ground, and after several minutes of alternating diving and firing, the beast fell. Its breathing was labored and ragged. She drew her pistol, a gift from Constantin, pointed it at the beast’s skull and pulled the trigger.

She almost jumped out of her skin when she felt strong hands on her turning her around. Her ringing ears hadn't heard his approach. Kurt’s eyes looked wild and she could tell he was working to keep his expression calm.

"Green blood, how do you fare? Are you hurt?"

Without waiting for a response Kurt began deftly checking her for injuries. She saw he had removed his gloves, and his hands gave her a steadying warmth through her clothes as he checked for breaks and cuts. Worried she was going to sag against him, she steadied herself and took a step back and looked down at the beast. How did that all happen so quickly? What was that creature?

"I'm okay Kurt, I'm okay" her voice was barely more than a whisper.

With gentleness that pulled at her heart, he put his index finger under her chin and lifted her gaze to his. His eyes were intense and concerned, not fully believing she was settled.

She could feel her pulse start to accelerate as they stared at each other, his blue grey eyes boring into her brown ones. Before either could speak Constantin rushed towards her as best he could with a slight limp. Her cousin’s presence forced them to immediately and awkwardly step away from one another, she struggled to look away.

Elena allowed Constantin's voice to pull her out of her jumbled thoughts. He was singing her praises and she offered him a weak smile. Proud of herself that she hadn’t panicked and allowed her training to guide her. But the shock of an unexpected battle with such an unnatural creature left her unsettled. She felt his arms around her, allowed herself to rest her chin on his shoulder, and raised her arms to return his embrace.

After a long moment he finally released her.

"How is your leg?"

"Just a nasty bruise dear cousin, the pain is already fading. You can rest assured that this month’s long journey will allow me plenty of time to rest and be in tip top shape to present myself as governor"

She held in a snicker as Kurt rolled his eyes in amusement. Constantin began to follow Vasco in the direction motioning for her to walk along with him. Linking arms with her cousin they marched towards the ship together.

Kurt followed behind giving one last look to the collapsed beast. Satisfied it was truly dead, he felt his pulse start to return to its normal rate. He wasn't sure which was to blame for his pounding heart, fearing that he would lose one of his charges before their journey even began, or whatever that brief moment between him and Elena was.

Their relationship while friendly, as friendly as Kurt was capable of, had always held the same healthy distance Kurt put between himself and everyone else, or at least so he thought. The vision of her staring up at that huge beast alone pushed to the front of his mind. Shaking his head and he decided it would be best to not to think on it any further for the time being and strode after the two cousins.

* * *

One month. One month she had made it into this journey at sea without being caught by her cousin or Kurt. IT was estimated that they had about six more weeks to go before the ship would see land.

Nightmares plagued her at night, her mother calling out to her, crying that Elena left her to die alone. She would wake in a sweat in the middle of the night. The only thing that seemed to calm her down was walking out to the ship deck and letting the fresh sea air caress her face, reminding herself of her purpose.

She was sure Vasco and the sailors on deck at night hadn't said anything, for if they had her cousin would have surely confronted her.

The nightmares didn't come every night, but they came this one. Elena shot up in bed. Hand clutching at her chest, breath coming in short gasps. She felt claustrophobic in the small dark cabin where she slept. Too small, too dark, and filled with stale air. She hastily pushed her hair out of her face and began to feel around in the dark, hands shaking too much to attempt to light a match. Luckily it didn't take long to locater her light loose breeches and a matching blouse. She barely managed to pull her boots on before pushing out her door to head for the deck.

She forced her unsteady legs to carry her up the stairs to the deck. The fresh sea air hitting her face brought immense relief and Elena allowed her eyes to drift closed while she took deep steadying breaths, allowing her chest to rise and fall.

After a few moments she glanced around before beginning the trek to her now usual spot against the rail where she could look out over the sea away from the others. Judging by the number of sailors on deck, it was still earlier than most nights, she must have only been asleep for an hour or so.

The wind blowing through her chestnut waves, wild from having been released from her typical braid, felt like heaven.

She sensed a presence beside her and didn't need to turn her head to know it was Kurt. She wasn't sure when she became so hyper aware of his presence. He had maintained his usual aloofness on their journey, which had stung a little. Elena had thought perhaps alone at sea, away from court he'd have opened up a bit more. He did still train occasionally with her and Constantin, even Vasco participated occasionally. They had all been impressed with the Naut's skill as a duelist.

Vasco had been a great surprise to all of them, her and Constantin were beginning to think of him as a friend. She even thought Kurt enjoyed the Naut's conversation as well.

She turned her head slightly to take in Kurt's stoic presence by her side. He was dressed in a casual loose shirt as well. Without his hat she could see the wind move through his black hair which while close cut, was slightly longer on top. She wondered for a moment what it would feel like if she ran her fingers through it.

He turned to look at her and she could only hope the darkness would hide the blush on her cheeks that was betraying her thoughts. His eyes quickly roved over her in assessment, taking in her appearance.

"Everything all right green blood?"

"Yes of course, just the occasional bad dream" attempting to shrug she turned to face the water, once again feeling slightly embarrassed at her admission.

"The creature at the port?"

She sighed "No, my mother. I keep seeing her calling out to me, that I've left her all alone... I miss her"

She had to swallow the lump that suddenly formed in her throat, she missed her mother terribly, and had been avoiding saying it aloud until now. She didn't even speak of it to Constantin, not wanting to draw attention to the difference in the relationships they had with their parents. She felt a hole in her chest from missing their conversations, things only mothers and daughters spoke of.

"I'm sorry green blood. But you know she's proud of you, she didn't want you to stay and watch her suffer"

Maybe it was the gentleness in his tone, or maybe it was that she couldn’t forget the feeling of his finger lifting her chin as he looked into her eyes, at the port, but she found herself wanting to push their conversation deeper, past his wall of professionalism. If she was honest with herself, she had been wanting to get past that wall for quite some time now.

"Kurt... have you ever felt lonely?"

He stiffened, and for a moment he just looked at her. The seconds of silence feeling like a lifetime as she wondered if he'd even answer her.

He shrugged

"I always do"

Turning his tone slightly teasing he continued.

"Why? Do you want to rectify this?"

She knew what he was doing; trying to deflect. For whatever reason Kurt never seemed to open up, she hadn’t encountered anyone who seemed to know him very well. She wished that she understood why. He had always described himself as a cynic, but her gut instinct knew he was using that as a means to hide, and she desperately wanted to get past that shield.

Looking at him with all the confidence she could muster she ensured her voice was calm and direct when she next spoke.

"And what if I said yes?"

Kurt's eyes slightly widened and then softened. His scarred face almost looked agonized. Her pulse raced realizing she had caught him off guard, and navigated past his defense. He opened his mouth to speak but before any words could escape their attention was drawn to Constantin's trill laughter as he and Vasco stepped out onto the ship deck.

Vasco and Constantin spied them and immediately quieted. The awkward tension in the air so thick she felt she would choke. Constantin met her eyes with a questioning look. His eyebrows raised slightly, understanding set in that he had just interrupted something.

"Ah Vasco, why don't you show that... sail... you had mentioned"

Elena barely withheld her groan. Studies in eloquence and her cousin came up with “sail”

Vasco for his part handled the exchange with much more grace than her cousin, quickly glancing between herself and Kurt.

"Of course, governor this way please"

Elena and Kurt followed them with their eyes until they were finally out of earshot.

She turned back to face him.

"You were saying?"

Kurt kept his gaze on her cousin and the ship captain a moment longer before looking back to her. She could already tell from his eyes that the wall he kept between them was firmly back in place. Her window of opportunity had closed for tonight.

"Slow down fair lady" turning his stormy eyes away from her to look out towards the sea.

"You are far too noble to be making such offhand propositions to a boorish soldier like me"

And there it was. She sighed turning from him once more to look out over the water, turned black and mysterious from the darkness of the night.

She took a step closer to him and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. The heat of his skin providing her palm with warmth. He didn't turn his head to face her, but she could feel his tension, and knew he was aptly listening.

"Kurt, I'd like to believe after all this time, you know I don't do anything offhand"

He didn't answer her, so she just sighed, allowing her hand to drop.

"Goodnight Kurt" and without another word she left him at the rail to go below deck and return to her cabin.

As her steps faded. Kurt's mind was still in turmoil. No noble had ever been interested in him as more than a passing interest. Which had never been a problem for Kurt in the past, it allowed him to avoid deeper relationships. Elena deserved more than he could give.

His thoughts reminded him that he was so far below her station and refused to take advantage of her loneliness and vulnerability. Kurt didn't know exactly what he felt for Elena; he hadn't given it any thought until recently. But he knew he admired her, cared for her. He knew he would have to have been blind to not notice how beautiful she looked with her chestnut curls blowing wildly in the sea air. Just remembering the sight of her brought a tightness to his chest.

She was a beautiful and fascinating noble woman, and he was as scarred inside as he was out. He had lived a life filled with horrors she couldn’t begin to imagine. If she ever learned where he came from, the things done to him as a recruit, the wicked things he had done to others, the pain, the humiliation, the violence, what Major Herman had done… she would be disgusted, or worse, she would pity him. He didn't want her to see him that way, couldn’t let her see him that way. Her opinion meant more to him than he’d like to admit. Elena was a representation of all that was good in the world and while he knew he couldn't protect her from everything, he would surely protect her from himself.

* * *

“So how long has that been going on?”

Constantin let out a soft chuckle.

“Ah, so you noticed”

“I have eyes” the Naut captain retorted with a raised brow.

“For my cousin, perhaps a year or so now. She has seemed completely oblivious to it until more recently, but I know her better than she knows herself”

“And him?”

Constantin sighed.

“Had you asked me an hour ago, I would have said he was more oblivious to it than she was. I’ve never seen Kurt look that way at her before. That was new.”

* * *

The rest of their journey passed. Kurt had seemed resolved to keep his wall between them. Her nightmares had passed, and they hadn't had a second moment looking out into the night. Though she thought he had been offering his slight smiles more, and his body language read as more comfortable and relaxed. They had all been pleasantly surprised to find a friend in captain Vasco. Even Kurt didn't object to the man's presence, finding common ground in honor in their duty and rank.

Elena was eager to reach shore. Not only had she been feeling restless being on a ship this long, she wanted to start their journey, and she desperately wanted to clean herself with something other than sea water.

One morning she saw one of the sailors climbing to the top of the mast. The air still thick with fog as the world around them awakened to the new day.

"Teer Fradee ahoy!"

She looked to her companions at the sound of the sailor’s voice. Her cousin was beaming with hope and confidence. The sight warmed her heart, filling her with anticipation, she was proud to be able to serve by his side. Kurt was looking into the fog, eyes searching for any sign of what the sailor had seen. Elena allowed herself a moment to observe his profile. His stubbled beard outlining his serious face, her breath hitched at how breathtakingly handsome he was in that moment. She wished she could reach out and trace the scar on the corner of his mouth. When he turned and saw the smiles on her and Constantin's faces, she saw him offer his half smile in response. Their adventure would finally begin.


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading!  
I updated Elena's age in chapter one, I finally got to the point in the game where they reveal her age (if they did before I totally missed it). This chapter is a shorter filler chapter, what was chapter four became so long I split it into two chapters. The next chapter is a very emotional fluff chapter that just has gotten longer and longer as I've been editing it. I hope to have that up within the next few days. I needed this chapter to set up Elena and Kurt's living situation. Also I intentionally edited the combatants in the arena, it will all play into the next chapter.  
I also have been going back and forth with if I should be including Elena or Kurt's inner dialogue. If I do it will be few and far between.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has been reading, I hope you enjoy this chapter

By the time they unloaded their belongings and had taken a tour of the governor’s palace the sun indicated that it was midafternoon. The palace was stunning, the second floor having beautiful large glass windows that offered a view over the entire city.

Vasco, for reasons Elena didn't fully understand, had been fired from the Nauts. She had assured him that her cousin was most pleased with the journey, as was she, Vasco had proven an excellent and capable captain, his crew clearly held him in high regard as well.

More than a few nights they were captivated as they listened to tales of his grand travels, while sipping warm brown liquor. A taste that Elena politely pretended to enjoy and sipped considerably slower than her cousin and Kurt.

Unfortunately, her praises were unable to remedy Vasco's situation. She felt terrible seeing his unhappiness from separated from his ship and his crew, the only family he had ever known. However, there was a part of her that couldn't help but be glad for his continued presence with their party, in addition to being a skilled swordsman he was good company.

Her and Constantin had worked to arrange the Naut captain lodging in the same group of homes nearest to the palace where herself, Kurt, and those who needed to be readily accessible to the governor would be living.

Elena was exhausted as it became time to head back to their lodgings. At least Vasco seemed satisfied with his new arrangements considering.

She raised a hand to bid Vasco goodnight as Kurt led the way to her home. It was protocol as her guard to ensure no unwanted party was lying in wait inside. Only a few years ago, Kurt had to dispatch an assassin hiding in a darkened corner of Constantin's room. No one knew who hired the man, though this practice of assassination attempts was hardly unheard of amongst court nobles.

Kurt was given the building adjacent to hers, though he had immediate access to her through a false wall, that only herself, Kurt, Constantin, and his predecessor knew about. In the other cities she knew her lodgings were to be outfitted with guest rooms as it would be unheard of for an emissary to travel without a party, but here she had to keep up the courtly appearance of living alone.

"Kurt, we are far from my uncles court, and I'm capable of defending myself, this is unnecessary" she let out a chuckle “you can’t possibly think I made someone so angry they want to kill me already”

He raised his scarred brow at her in amusement.

"Your uncle pays me handsomely to ensure your safety green blood, let me earn my coin"

She rolled her eyes at that while he turned to unlock her door.

"And yet, rumor has it you took quite a pay cut to guard me over Constantin"

He froze, clearly surprised that she had found out. Then shrugged in an attempt at nonchalance, opening the door without glancing back at her.

"You and I both know I fit in better in the field than amongst all the dainties at court"

She let it drop as he silently ascended the stairs to check her rooms.

“I suppose I should be flattered you no longer consider me a ‘dainty noble’”

Kurt let out a small hmph that almost sounded like a laugh and she couldn’t help but grin at her success.

Closing the door behind them Elena let herself lean back against the solid wood, taking in her new space. She had only ever had a room before, and now she had her own home, technically had three. She glanced at the portraits leaning against the wall, waiting to be hung. Her mother's beautiful eyes looking out at her.

Tomorrow she'd pick a perfect place to hang the painting. Stepping away from the door to look around the rest of the lodgings, she was pleased to find a fireplace with soft rug in front. Elena toyed with the necklace that was her mothers parting gift. She wondered if her mother was still alive, or if the malichor had already claimed her.

As Kurt descended the stairs to return to the first floor, he found Elena with her hands clasped behind her back, gazing out the window. His breath hitched for a moment taken aback by how beautiful she looked. The soft moonlight making her chestnut hair shine white, as his gaze followed a loose strand, he became transfixed by the elegance of where her marked jawline met her delicate neck._ So beautiful._

"Everything is in order, get some sleep" straining to keep his tone neutral.

She turned to offer him one of her small smiles and let out a soft laugh.

"I told you, that you didn't need to worry"

He had to get out of here, the room was suddenly too small and the air too thin. He knew he had to walk past her to exit the front door. If anyone was watching, for the sake of appearances he needed to be seen leaving, eliminating the possibility of using the secret door.

"Goodnight green blood" Keeping several feet between them as he passed her.

"Goodnight Kurt"

Her voice sounded almost sad, but he didn't allow himself to turn and look. Opening the door, he welcomed the briskness of the cold air as he stepped out into the night.

Elena watched the door shut as he left, and sighed. Ever the professional, though she felt in her gut something was different between them. She sighed, knowing if she pushed it now he would probably run away. _Does he truly trust anyone?._

She wondered again what in his past had made these connections so difficult. She just hoped eventually could trust her. 

Knowing there was no use in fixating on it for now, she ascended the stairs to find a bedroom with a beautiful four poster bed framed by lush curtains, and plenty storage for clothes and books. She was grateful for the clean and efficient washroom, which she had immediate need of. When she finally curled up in bed she tried not to think of the man sleeping mere feet away on the other side of the wall.

Elena woke feeling well rested. Too tired last night to have dreams or nightmares. After washing she donned her typical braid, dressed in a traveler’s suit, and set off to find Constantin. It was time to obtain direction from her cousin for her first official duties as legate.

* * *

By the time she had stood in front of Constantin, she was accompanied by Kurt, Vasco, and a native princess by the name of Síora.

The three men had kept looking between Elena and the native while Síora presented herself.

Constantin was the one who had put voice to their thoughts.

"This is incredible! The two of you look so much alike you could be related"

While Kurt seemed to be monitoring Elena's reaction to the observation, Vasco nodded in agreement. Elena and Síora exchanged glances, neither knew what to say about the matter.

While the women had some similar features they hardly would pass for twins. Elena knew why Constantin was insisting they looked alike, he just didn't want to say it aloud. Síora had a mark identical to Elena's. Her mind began churning with questions. Could the mark simply be a coincidence?

Her cousin had tasked her to meet with the governors of the Bridge Alliance as well as Thélème, to act as his emissary, but to also begin the inquiries about any progress they may have made on discovering a cure for the malichor.

She was proud to see that Constantin taking on his duties as governor seemed to come so naturally to him. Her cousin had impressed her with his immediate willingness to help Síora, a perfect stranger belonging to a people at war with one of their allies. She never doubted that Constantin would be a benevolent leader, though her heart was elated to see him flourishing outside of his father's shadow.

When Elena had suggested attempting to orchestrate a cease fire between the native's and the bridge alliance, her dear cousin gave her his full support.

Stepping away from the governor’s palace Elena and the men bid Síora farewell for the time being. Constantin was going to work on finding temporary lodging for the princess, and Elena needed to begin familiarizing herself with New Serene and its people, before spending days on the road traveling between cities.

She assured Síora that when the time came to meet her mother, Elena wouldn't leave her behind.

She felt Kurt's light touch on her arm.

"You alright green blood?"

Kurt knew her well enough to sense her brooding.

"Yes... just confused" she sighed looking at him before glancing towards the city. "Though I don't have the luxury of giving the significance of this coincidence consideration at this time we have much to accomplish"

* * *

She was going to be the death of him. Two days. Two days they had been in Teer Fradee and somehow getting a simple merchants permit had evolved into fighting in an arena alongside a warrior she hadn't even met. Kurt wasn't allowed to be fight at her side due to these supposed "rules."

He was torn between wanting to praise her for doing the honorable thing and defending this man or shake her for putting herself in such a dangerous situation. He was leaning towards shaking.

He had tried to fight in her place, though she insisted it had to be her. The natives had seemed more open to her presence, even referring to her as “on ol menawi.” They had yet to discover the meaning of the name, though it was clearly significant. 

Kurt had been surprised to learn many of the natives had mark's similar to Elena's. No one seemed to have an explanation for how that could be, and he could tell it was unsettling to the legate.

Vasco's hand clapping on his shoulder drew him from his thoughts. The Naut gave him a knowing look.

"She's going to be fine. Elena knows how to handle herself; she defeated the beast at the port. You trained her well, trust her"

He removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"I do"

Vasco looked towards the arena.

"That man is also a trained warrior, undoubtedly he has been fighting similar beasts his entire life. She's not alone down there"

And then the fight began.

Elena saw the surprise on the native warrior’s face as she dropped into the arena, then relief as she quickly explained that she was there to fight by his side. The crowd roared as two beasts emerged. She could practically feel the weight of Kurt's gaze on her, though she didn't allow herself to turn and look at him. She could do this; she just needed to focus and allow muscle memory and instinct take over.

As the beasts came charging out, she fired off shadow missiles in quick succession until she was finally forced to dodge out of the way. She could hear the crowd roar as the beast missed her by mere inches. The native warrior focused on the other beast, his sword cutting through the air in long elegant arcs, indicative of a lethal skill no doubt honed over a lifetime of living off the land. These beasts were much smaller than what she faced at the port in Serene, but they were much faster, and forced her several times to make mad dives to avoid being charged.

She worked to put some ground between herself and the creature. Elena drew on her magic, allowing it to pool inside her. She continued pulling at it until she could feel it charging the air all around her. She thrust a hand outward, willing the beast into stasis.

Sweat beaded on her brow as she used her other hand to fire shadow missiles at the paralyzed beast. She was feeling emboldened by how easily the power was flowing from her. Perhaps it was months of being cooped up on the boat, but she was sure her magic was feeling stronger than ever before.

As the beast fell, she heard the sound of a blade slicing through flesh as the hunter defeated the other creature.

The hunter nodded in thanks to her, and she briefly explained how she came to be by his side. As they turned to climb out of the arena Vasco reached down to help lift the hunter, she looked up to see Kurt reaching a gloved hand down to her.

He pulled her up with one mighty heave and she practically fell into him from a combination of the force and exhaustion. He steadied her before looking her up and down checking for injuries.

With a soft chuckle she gently swatted at him.

"I'm alright Kurt, just a bit tired"

He furrowed his brow at her, and she couldn't help but offer him a small smirk.

"You didn't need to worry; I had an excellent teacher"

Vasco laughed before Kurt could respond

"That's exactly what I said! You fought well De Sardet"

"Thank you Vasco"

"You need to practice your shielding more, you won't always be quicker than your opponent, and it won't always be one on one"

Kurt crossed his arms as he attempted to lecture, but she could see that scarred mouth fighting a smirk of his own.

"Yes sir!"

* * *

Kurt escorted Elena around the city to continue meeting with various merchants, the innkeeper at the coin tavern, and the quartermaster of the coin guard barracks. He loved watching the ease in which she interacted with everyone, and couldn't help but feel a bit envious of the skill of communication that came so naturally to her.

Vasco seemed content to accompany them, unsure of what else to do with his time on land.

Their meeting with the quartermaster had come bearing bad news, they would once again have to sneak into a Naut warehouse and mark the crates with color for the recruits.

After leaving the barracks Vasco turned to her and Kurt.

"I don't know if you have a plan, but those crates will be in the warehouse closest to my ship, and the men guarding it are from my crew. I don't want to see them hurt"

"Violence won’t be necessary, I kept the Naut uniform. I can sneak by unnoticed"

While Kurt dropped his face into his palm with a groan, the Naut captain seemed pleased with her reassurance.

"Well, if you're open to it, I have an idea as to how to increase your chances of going unnoticed as well as to ensure no unnecessary violence. I also have a request if you'd be willing to hear it"

"Of course Vasco, what do you need?"


	5. Chapter five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is what was originally the second half of chapter 4, though became so large it became it's own chapter. I don't know what happened I just kept adding to it

Vasco's request was how Elena found herself inside a brothel for the first time in her life. She took in the basement of the coin tavern with curiosity, a dim room filled with lush fabrics and pillows of vibrant colors.

The room was devoid of people with the exception of a sole guard named Dieter who, Kurt had informed her, served as the pimp for the women. She had stiffened a bit, feeling a momentary surge of jealousy realizing that this probably wasn't Kurt's first time in such a place.

“You here looking for a good time? Most of my girls are preoccupied tonight. Or you looking to sell?” with a head nod to Elena “Some men pay extra for the savages”

“I seriously suggest you shut up…” Kurt began to snarl.

Elena waved a hand to interrupt.

“Thank you but we’re not here for that…It seems you are sending girls and wine to the harbor office every night, including this one?”

“So? There’s no law against that is there?” Dieter sat back taking a defensive stance.

“No, and I’m not here to stop you”

“Listen Dieter” Vasco cut in, sensing the defensiveness of the pimp “We just wanted to add a secret ingredient to your wine tonight…”

This at least got Dieter to physically relax

“What? Are you joking” he laughed “are you trying to slip a laxative in it?”

Vasco smiled in response “We were thinking sleeping pills, nothing bad you see”

* * *

“We made a good negotiation team in there De Sardet”

“That we did captain Vasco” she said returning his smile.

The Naut turned to face her and Kurt just before they reached the port.

“Dieter’s girls should be here soon, it’s pitch black, the perfect moment” he looked them up and down before continuing “You have the Naut uniforms?”

She nodded before turning to Kurt with a wide grin.

“I found you a jacket”

* * *

Vasco had opted to leave their party before they reached the port, not wanting to be associated with the break in if anything went wrong. It would certainly be seen as treason for him to be encouraging outsiders to gain access to Naut territory.

A full moon bathed the port in soft light, emphasizing the stark contrast of the shadows cast by the buildings. Glancing around, Elena realized there would be no wall of crates for her to hide behind, forcing her to settle for a dark alleyway between buildings while Kurt turned his back to her to keep watch. Vasco luckily had been able to at least secure Kurt a jacket for her to give to Kurt, which hopefully would be enough to fool the drunk and drugged sailors.

As she buttoned up the crisp white shirt of her disguise she decided to run through her plan.

"We should start with the crates, and then work our way out, the warehouse is more likely to be abandoned anyways. What do you think?"

As Kurt turned around to respond, his eyes landed where her fingers were fastening the buttons over her chest. Despite the darkness she could have sworn he turned several shades of red. He swallowed before averting his gaze.

She couldn't help but feel a bit triumphant at his reaction, they had seen more revealing cleavage as they passed some of the women who were leaving their sleeping clients. _He hadn’t blushed for them_.

Doubt crept into her mind, was he blushing because he didn't want to see her like that?

"Mark the crates, then we get the Naut's personal file" his voice sounding gruff.

She simply nodded in response and then they were off.

Luckily the sailors were either asleep, or too drunk to pay them any attention.

They were able to move in and out of the warehouse efficiently, Elena designating the crates they needed. The harbor office operation went equally as smoothly, no one taking any note of their presence.

* * *

Returning to the alley to discard their disguises, Elena opted to only remove the jacket, and stowed it in her pack.

Feeling pleased with their success she handed the information over to Vasco, before the trio began the trek to their homes to retire for the evening.

The night was impossibly dark, all of New Serene seemed to be asleep. Elena was grateful for the quiet, she felt completely exhausted. It had been a long day, and her legs were dragging from the arena fight only hours ago.

It wasn't until Kurt put his arm out to stop her in her path, that she realized something was amiss.

"We're being followed" he whispered and nodded his head at Vasco.

Both men drew their swords in anticipation, and Elena began summoning her magic as best she could. Cursing inwardly at how drained she still felt.

Her ears listened for whatever Kurt had heard, she felt the hair on the back of her neck prick up in anticipation. She didn't have to wait long, from the shadows five men collapsed on them. One fell almost instantly to a swing of Kurt's heavy long sword while two men attempted to duel with Vasco. Elena held the fourth man in stasis while Kurt lunged for the fifth.

She heard a soft thud as one fell to Vasco's blade, before the Naut whirled and kicked the second, throwing the attacker back.

Elena shouted to the man she held in stasis.

"Drop your weapon!"

The man refused, struggling violently against the magic binding him.

She strained to maintain the hold but her willpower was failing her.

With a snap and a shout, the man broke free and charged her. She heard Kurt yell to her as he cut through his opponent and ran to reach her, intending to cut the man down before he got too close.

A loud bang eliminated his need to do so. The sound shocking Elena as she jolted. The stranger stared at her, blood erupted from his mouth as he let out a gurgled cough. The light drained from his eyes and went cold before he fell to the ground. The thud of his body seemed to echo off the buildings, in the now silent alley. She looked down to see blood pooling between the stones, practically black in the darkness.

Her hand felt hot suddenly and she looked down in shock to discover her pistol. _How did that get there?_ She simply stared at it, confused by its presence. The blood drained from her face, perhaps even her entire body, as she felt deathly cold.

Elena looked up to Kurt who had sheathed his sword behind his back and was approaching her slowly with his palms facing her like she was a wounded animal.

"Elena"

His voice only a gentle a whisper. She could only stare back. He never called her that.

She heard Vasco approach but couldn't bring herself to look.

"Fucking bandits..."

Kurt without taking his eyes off her told Vasco to inform the coin guard and have the bodies removed.

Silence as she could practically feel Vasco's eyes as he looked between her and Kurt.

"Is she alright?"

"She's uninjured, but...that was her first"

_Kill_. She heard the word he avoided saying

A ragged breath tore from her at that.

She heard the sweep of Vasco's jacket and his boots on the stone street as he left them.

Kurt continued his slow steps towards her. All she could do was look up at him, his scarred expression unreadable. The sound she barely recognized as her own panicked breathing returned to her ears.

"Shhh Elena, I'm going to take you home now"

He gently took the pistol in his hand, before safely securing it at his waist. She could only nod as he tucked her under his arm, his body heat a reprieve from the cold. She let him lead as he began to steer her in the direction of her home.

Her legs felt like they were weighted down with stone, she was barely able to put one foot in front of the other. Kurt must have been able to sense this as the next moment he bent down to put his other arm behind her knees to lift her against his chest.

Not wanting to look at anything she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face into his neck. She breathed in his scent of soap and leather and tried to calm the tightness in her chest.

Kurt carried her inside gently kicking the door shut behind him. She felt herself sink as he lowered her into one of the chairs facing the fireplace. He quickly fetched a blanket to wrap around her.

Getting down on to his knees to light the kindling, he poked at it a few times before standing and striding out of her line of sight.

Returning, he knelt in front of her on the rug with a glass of brown ale and plate of dried fruit.

"I know you're not going to want to eat or drink, but you need to for the shock"

Kurt spoke so quietly; afraid any loud noise would be enough to tip her over the edge. When she didn't move, he reached for her hand to wrap her fingers around the glass and placed the plate on her lap.

"I need to go upstairs to clear the second floor, but I'll return shortly"

With one last worried look he quietly bounded up the stairs.

She wasn’t sure how long he was gone but when he returned Kurt took the chair next to her. He began poking at the fire once more while she sipped and picked at the food.

As the flames grew, she finally felt some of the heat begin to return to her body. She was grateful for the silence, the only sound the crackling of the flames.

Fruit finished she let herself lean to rest her head on Kurt's shoulder. As her cheek made contact with the soft fabric of his shirt, she realized he must have removed his armor at some point. He adjusted to put his arm around her, her skin grateful for the surge of warmth. She let her head fall on his chest, content to listen to the drum of his heart instead of her own thoughts

Once she finished her drink Kurt plucked the glass from her hand, placing it on a nearby table. The next second she was in his arms again, as he ascended the stairs up to her room.

He placed her to sit on the bed with her feet touching the floor before he bent down to remove her boots and socks. She could see the scars on his hands in the moonlight, and his calloused fingers still managed to feel gentle on her skin.

She practically groaned in disappointment when he finished, missing his heat.

He stood to light a few candles, before turning back to her.

"Where are your sleep clothes?"

She raised an arm weakly pointing at the dresser furthest to the right.

"Can you stand?"

"Yes"

"Let's get you to the washroom, you can change and clean up. I'll be right outside"

She almost asked him to come in with her but couldn't bring herself to speak.

Once she re-emerged Kurt helped her back to her room. He reached around her to pull back the duvet allowing her to climb into the bed before he reached down to pull the covers over her.

She realized how pathetic she must look. All this time wishing he would finally see her as an adult, and here he was, needing to care for her like she was a child.

"I'm sorry if I disappointed you"

This seemed to catch him by surprise. For a moment he stood perfectly still, not saying a word. It appeared he reached some sort of decision as he finally lowered himself to sit next to her on the bed.

"Nothing to be sorry for green blood, I'd be more worried if this didn't bother you"

She couldn't look away from his eyes, like he was the life raft keeping her from drowning in her own thoughts.

"Does it bother you?"

He raised a hand slowly, seemingly hesitating, but allowed himself to continue. He brushed her hair away from her forehead and trailing his fingers down her cheek.

Her skin tingled from the sensation of his fingers on her skin.

"I've been killing for a long-time green blood"

His voice sounded so sad to her in the moment. _He always has an air of sadness around him_. She didn't want him to be sad, she tried to think of a time she had truly seen him happy.

Elena let her eyes follow the scar from over his eye, to across the bridge of his nose, to finally landing again to the one on his lip. His scars so familiar and handsome to her. She wished desperately she that could help alleviate the pain he felt, the way he always managed to do so for her.

She took his hand in hers and offered a light squeeze. He squeezed back.

"You should sleep now"

She nodded the drag of sleep already beginning to pull her under.

Kurt held her hand until her breathing deepened and he was sure she was asleep.

* * *

She woke the next morning and felt a presence in her room. As slowly, and silently as she could, she rolled herself over and her eyes widened.

Kurt must have brought up both chairs from downstairs and was now slumped in one, with his legs stretched out and feet resting on the other. His arms were across his chest, and the hair at the top of his head looked slightly messy. His face was turned from her view, but she could tell from his breathing he was still asleep.

_he stayed_

She allowed herself a moment to simply look at him. She couldn't remember him ever looking so disheveled; she felt a pang of guilt realizing this was probably an awful way for him to have slept. Though knowing he had stayed to watch over her, made her heart swell with emotion.

Judging by the sunshine coming through the window, it was later than they typically slept. Her thoughts returned to the two of them alone in her room… and suddenly washed any bad memories of last night from her mind. She could feel her pulse begin to accelerate as she debated reaching out to wake him.

A knock at the front door woke him first. He jolted upright and took in his surroundings before his eyes landed on her.

She could faintly hear Ser de Courcillon call for her from outside.

He offered her a bit of a sheepish grin. Before running a hand through his dark hair, and she thought he had never looked more perfect than in that moment.

"You're alright green blood. I better get out of here before you answer that door"

He stood picking up his armor and went to stride out of the room.

"Kurt?"

He turned to face her.

Wanting to say so much, but for once finding the right words completely failed her, so she said the only thing she could.

"Thank you"

That upward tick of the corner of his mouth as he nodded in response would have her daydreaming for hours.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kept debating on having Kurt stay in her home, I must have taken that out and added that back in several times, though I didn't think he'd leave her. This chapter for some reason was really hard for me to write. Next chapter we'll be back on the main plot and do some of Kurt's first personal quest. I also thought De Sardet would struggle with killing a person for the first time, so I had to throw that in there too. Thank you all again for reading <3


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